Health & Safety Setup
Health and safety is not just about avoiding accidents — it is a legal obligation for every business, regardless of size. The good news is that for most small businesses, compliance is straightforward. You do not need a dedicated health and safety officer or a thick manual of procedures. You need to identify the risks in your workplace, take sensible steps to manage them, and keep a record of what you have done. This pathway shows you how.
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires all employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of their employees. This applies from the moment you take on your first employee.
If you have five or more employees, you must have a written health and safety policy. This document sets out your commitment to health and safety, who is responsible for it, and the arrangements you have in place to manage it.
You must carry out risk assessments for all significant hazards in your workplace. A risk assessment identifies what could cause harm, who might be harmed and how, what you are already doing to control the risk, and what further action is needed.
You must display the Health and Safety Law poster (available from HSE) in your workplace, or provide each employee with the equivalent leaflet. You must also have employers' liability insurance and display the certificate.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the UK's national regulator for workplace health and safety. Their website (hse.gov.uk) has excellent free guidance for small businesses, including templates for risk assessments and health and safety policies.
Good to know
- Download the HSE's free risk assessment template from hse.gov.uk
- Display the Health and Safety Law poster in a prominent location
- Review your risk assessments whenever your workplace or working practices change significantly
Watch out for
- Assuming health and safety only applies to factories and construction sites — it applies to every workplace, including offices
- Not having employers' liability insurance — this is a legal requirement and the fine for not having it is up to £2,500 per day
- Treating health and safety as a box-ticking exercise rather than a genuine effort to protect your people
Ready for the next step?
Browse all pathways or explore our handbooks and templates for deeper guidance.